Center-board for boats



(No Model.)

J. E. COUCH.

CENTER BOARD FOR BOATS.

Patented Feb. 6, 1883.

rv W M M W M W WITNESSES yaw Afforney NKTED TATES PATENT rrroe.

CENTER-BOARD FOR BOATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 271,607, dated February 6, 1833,

Application filed June 29, 1882. (No model.)

10 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES E. OoUoH, of Clayton, in the county ofJeli'erson and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Center-Boards for Boats; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in center-boards for boats; and it consists in parts 'and combination of parts, as will be more fully described,and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the boat, showing the welland center-board in side elevation. Fig.2 is an end of the well and operating-lever; and Fig. 3 is a detached view of the center-board sections, operating-lever, and rigid stop in their proper relative positions.

Arepresents about; B.thekeelthereof; and G, a low well or casing closed at all points except the bottom, where it communicates with an opening through the keel B. This well 0, which is preferably made of suitable sheet metal, is provided with the sideand end flanges a, which latter extend out sufficiently from the said well'to enable the latter to be secured to the bottom of the boat by the wooden or metallic spring-bars D. These bars-two in numberare slightly longer than the well, and of any desired thickness, are placed on the side tlanges a in the position shown in the drawings,and the opposite ends thereof project out slightly beyond the ends of the well 0. Screw-bolts E are secured to the keel of the boat just beyond the extremities of the well,and projectup between the ends of the spring-bars D. the lower edges of which latter, instead of being straight, are slightly convexed, so that when the said bars are first placed in position on the flanges a,

only the centers thereot' rest on the said flanges. Metallic clips F are secured on the screw-bolts E by the nuts 0, and project laterally from the said bolts and overlap the ends of the spring-bars D, and by simply tightening the said nuts b the clips F force the "ends of the bars 1) downward until they bear throughout their length on the flanges a and firmly secure the well in position, without the necessity of screws or nails passing through the said flanges, which would have a tendency to weaken the parts.

Ifdesired, any suitable packing can be interposed between the well and keel to prevent leakage; but itis not absolutely necessary, as the bars D tirmly bind and hold all portions of the flanges a against the keel and prevent These bars the possible ingress of any water. D, besides performing the functions of securing the well in position, also form a protection for the sides thereofinnd prevent it from being accidentally injured or its shape distorted by blows, which would hinder the play of the 6 secured on the pin d, which latter is secured 7 to the sides of the well in a water-tight manner. These sections are allot the same size and shape, and are cut away or provided with inclined front faces, which enables them to be secured near one end of the well and have sufficient room for their free movement downward without striking against the end of the well, and consequently injuring the same by continued blows.

His theo crating-lever bent as shown and 8; 9 7

provided at its inner end with a fiat or enlarged face, against which the inclined faces of all the sections of the center-board rest. This lever H passes through one end of the well, and is pivotnlly secured therein by the pivot-bolt H, which latter passes through the side walls of the well. This lever H is provided on its upper face with two or more notches, g, with which the bail I engages to hold the sections of the center-board either 5 closed or in a partly-closed position. .In the present instance 1 have shown threeinde t'iendent sections to the center-board, arranged side by side, so as to form a small, compact mass when closed in the well and a large resisting ms or bearing surface when opened, as shown in Fig. 3. All of these sections are pivoted to the same hearing, all of them are free to move simultaneously in the same or opposite direction, and all bear on the end of the lever 1; but the amount of movementof the several sections is automatically controlled by thestop J, which latter is rigidly secured to one side of the well and extends nearly across the same, leaving a suflicient space between its free end and the adjacent side wall of the well for the passage of one section of the center-board. This section Ur of center-board, whichpasses the stop J, has the greatest amount of movement, and always rests against the end of the lever H. The second or middle section, G is provided with a curved slot, 6, on its inclined face, which allows the said section to fall downward until theend of the slotisreached,where itis held against furtherdownwardmovement. The third or top section, G is not provided with a slot, and is caused to stop as soon as it comes in contact with the stop J. hen the lever J isforced downward theinner end thereof engages the sections in regular order and lifts them up into the well. By means of the notches g in the lever J the center-board can he extended to its full extent, or it can be folded up so as to present a surface the size of one or two sections, as circumstances demand.

In order to prevent leakage around the lever J at the point where the same passes through the well, I have supplied a rubber packing, L, which latter may be bell-shaped or any suitable form, the edges of which are secured ina water-tight manner. The lever J passes centrally through this diaphragm, and the edge around the opening through which the lever passes is secured to the said lever by any suitable means, so as to form a water-tight connection or joint.

The sections of the center-board can be made of sheet metal, or thin \\ood covered or not with metal, as desired, and any suitable number of sections can be used that will answer the necessary purposes.

An important feature of my improved device is that the sections of the center-board never fall against the front of the well and injure the same, as is the case with the sectional center-boards now in use. In my improved device the sections of the center-board are all of the same form, excepting the slot in one of them, which cheapens the manufacture of them. Again, there is no need of presses and dies for making the center-board, as atinsmith can make them with ordinary tools.

The improvement is simple in construction, is of few parts, is not liable to become inoperative, and is durable and effective in use.

It is evident that changes in the construction and form of my improvement might be iesorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention; and hence I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction of parts shown and described, but consider myself at liberty to make such changes as come within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the well or casing provided with side flanges, of bars adapted to bear on the said flanges, and means for securing the said bars in position thereon.

2. The combination, with the well or casing provided with side flanges, of spring-bars constructed as described, and adapted to bear on the said flanges, and means for securing them in position thereon, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the well or casing, ofa sectional center-board pivotally secured within said well, and a lower supported on a separate pivotal bearing, said lever being provided with a down wardly-extending arm that engages the ends of the several sections of the center-board, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a well orcasing and a vertically-movable center-board, of a lever pivotally held in the end of the well or casing, a rubber or other flexible watertight packing surrounding the said lever at the point where it passes into the well, and means for holding the lever in an elevated or depressed position.

5. The combination, with a well or casing and a stop-pin extending partly through the well below the pivotal bearing of the centerboard sections, of one section of the centerboard arranged to move past the stop, another section provided with a slot for receiving the stop, and another section arranged to rest upon the stop when in its lowest position, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with awell or casing and a sectional centenboard pivoted therein, of an operating-lever extending through the end ofthe well-casing, and provided with an arm that engages the center-board sections, said lever being provided with a series of notches, and a bail for holding the lever and centerboard in any desired adjustment, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with the well or casing, of a lever adapted to engage the said board, as described, and provided on its upper face with a notch or notches, and abail adapted to engage said notches and hold the board in a closed or partly closed position.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES E. COUCH.

Witnesses:

JAMES F. ANGEL, J OIIN FELT. 

